A Venemous Dose of Antimatter
by FriedBaozi
Summary: A collection of stories, both short and (possibly) long following the lives of our resident toxin mistress and space-warping cutie. Expect continuous updates over time. Rated M to be safe. [Wait, Nova isn't a taggable character! What is this blasphemy!] [Saryn/Nova Drabbles]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** : A series of one-shots or shorts following one of my favorite pairings. Also inspired by a picture of Saryn and Nova I found on the web somewhere, and since then I haven't really been able to get them out of my head. Instead of doing long fics, I liked the idea of doing short pieces and prompt fillers with these two. Hope you enjoy!

And as always, all credit of the characters belongs to Digital Extremes and Warframe.

* * *

Magenta irises locks with orbs reminiscent of distant, swirling galaxies. A leather-clad hand reaches out to you – a soundless gesture of help you contemplate accepting just this once. Your fingers twitch, but you remain wholly undisturbed in your slouched position against a moss-covered trunk. "You look like shit."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," you spit out – quite literally with blood – until another cough overwhelms your lungs. You've been hacked and slashed at by blood-thirsty Walkers and covered with acidic sludge from Chargers. You've fared worse against Ancients dragging you across craggy riverbeds and Mutalist Ospreys filling your lungs with toxic fumes powerful enough to burn flesh from the inside out. This endless onslaught against one of the worst creations in history leaves you to wonder why the Orokin would go as far as to corrupt biology and repurpose technology only to have it backfire at the end of the day? You want to scream and curse the Gods, whomever they are, for your twisted fate. Trained by Ballas for the sole purpose of fixing the Orokin's deadly mistake, emotionally and physically abused by Kela Da Thaym's sickening fantasies, and left with the dauntless task of keeping the Infested at bay on a massive planet polluted with centuries of military occupation.

"Come with us."

You blink, unmoving. _Come with…us?_ "Why should I?"

"We have someone who can tend to your wounds." Doesn't she know who you are? A monster, born from the last of an ancient civilization to rectify history, and bound to serve under the Grineer leaders. This is all you know, all you have known in the last, few hundred years. There is no salvation for someone as yourself. "Fuck off."

You place your hand on the hilt of your Nikana in an effort to shoo her away. In the very pit of your stomach and the darkest corners of your mind, you just don't want another person subjected to what you've endured. The wordless threat doesn't scare her, and she drops to stand on her own two feet. Wait – you hadn't realized she's been floating this entire time. The hand comes to your cheek instead, cool and gentle in a way you didn't imagine possible. You don't fight against the overwhelming desire to lean into the touch, and suddenly exhaustion washes over your entire system like the neurotoxins you employ to subdue your enemies.

"Trinity? I've found someone. How soon can you bring around the ship?"

You don't really register what she's saying anymore. She's shaking you to keep you awake – you don't realize exactly how much blood you've lost. It must be a lot if you're starting to feel sleepy and cold. "Hey, I need you to stay with me."

"Why are you doing this?" You surprise yourself with the question, wondering where this energy comes from. She doesn't reply and instead crawls to your side. She throws one of your arms over her shoulder and struggles to lift you to your feet. A snort leaves your lips at her efforts, but you humor her anyway and take some weight off so she feels useful. "You know they'll come for me."

"I know." The honest, simple answer surprises you and you look down at the smaller woman focused on forging a path through the thickest of trees and plants. There is a clearing not more than a hundred feet from where she found you, and above a triangular ship comes hovering down. It lands with a burst of wind and dust, forcing you to brace yourself against the gust. Another person joins you – a woman reminiscent of witch doctors you only hear about in fantastical tales among some of the Grineer troops. She comes up to you with a determined look on her face and places her hands on your sternum. Instinct kicks in and you grab her wrist fiercely only to find a pistol aimed at your head.

"'ah suggest ya take yer hands off." You don't recognize the accent, but one look at the blindfolded woman tells you that you best listen. If someone who can't see is capable of knowing exactly where to point a weapon, there is a good chance you'll lose your head. You release your grip just as waves of green energy washes over you, seeping into your wounds like a cool salve. The pain ebbs away as you feel your skin re-stitch itself until only dull aching remains.

You're exhausted by the time the witch doctor finishes, and you let yourself succumb to the darkness as hands reach out to catch you.

* * *

Sleep never comes easy, as it has been for as long as you can remember. It comes as no surprise then when you wake with a start, sweat coating every inch of your skin. A white ceiling greets your vision instead of the usual sickly green reminiscent of Grineer cells and bunkers. Confusion overtakes your mind, but when you prop yourself up to examine your surroundings you're caught off guard by the sleeping woman in a chair not far from your bed.

In fact you're in a room entirely alien to the tainted landscape burned in the back of your mind.

She stirs. You can't help but stare as she blinks away the vestiges of sleep you so desperately crave for yourself. "Good, you're awake."

"Are you always painfully obvious?"

She rolls her eyes and you find it oddly…. Adorable. Was that accurate? "Considering you slept for three days straight… yes, it's a bit warranted."

Three days?! You feel like you slept for mere hours. "Where am I?"

"Long story, but you're in a safe, secure environment. We're in the medical ward aboard this ship."

You don't quite understand, but for now you accept her words at face value.

"I'll go notify Trinity. I'll be right back."

"Wait," you call out, stopping her before she leaves the room. She turns back with an expectant expression and you hold up your hand. "Saryn. My name is Saryn."

You don't know why, but a part of your heart soars when she slowly slips her own smaller one in your palm to shake. "Nova."


	2. Chapter 2

Mag was impressed. She watched Nova slam a _Molecular Prime_ into the ground, the expansive bubble hitting the Grineer and slowing their movements into oblivion. Spores grew on their skins before exploding into noxious green clouds and effectively wiping them clean on their asses. "We've been here for a solid hour, and they haven't even posed a threat to us."

The scientist landed beside her best friend and sat down next to her. She didn't address Mag directly, eyes focused on the tall woman a few yards away with a superficial replica of herself. "I took the liberty to analyze the chemicals she uses. Quite a deadly concoction even on Grineer standards. I figured Ballas didn't pull any stops with her."

The electromagnetic user leaned back on her arms and let out a quiet scoff. "You Priming them just makes this even more ridiculous."

Nova gave Mag a pointed look. "It makes it easier on her, so she doesn't overexert herself." She raised an eyebrow when Mag smiled devilishly. "What?"

"You seriously have a massive lady-boner for her."

Cue red cheeks and indignant sputtering. "I so do not."

Just then Saryn walked up to the both of them. Clearly, she remained oblivious of their little conversation with how serious her expression became. "We need to go." She didn't even wait for them to follow her, though Mag did hop off the crate she perched on.

"Okay, so maybe I do." Mag laughed at the admission and offered a hand up to help Nova down. For someone who could defy gravity and float, she really sucked at sticking landings. "But can you blame me?"

Mag thought about it for a moment. "Knowing the fact I refuse to go there for reasons, no, I can't."

* * *

Prompt #668: "Something stood at the end of the hallway, watching and waiting and perfectly patient."

Nova felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She had just come back from her labs after spending a full twenty-four hours without sleep to finish a project, so when the feeling of being watched crept into her mind, she had the sensibility to look down the hall.

She couldn't see who it was, but brilliant magenta eyes gave it away. "Saryn, for the love of Lotus, stop creeping."

"I was waiting." The elusive warrior emerged from the shadows, dressed down in an off-shouldered tee and pants tight enough to make the scientist's knees go weak. Arms wrapped around her in a gentle hug.

"I usually have late nights. You don't need to stay up waiting for me."

Saryn pouted. Nova stared up at her. Saryn _never_ pouted. "I can't see my favorite person?"

 _Ugh….._ Nova wondered if the warrior was genuinely the product of a menace, or secretly a puppy. She sighed and stood on her toes to press a kiss to her nose. "Alright, just this once."

Nova would never understand why Saryn loved watching her collection of old documentaries.

* * *

Prompt #667: "Maybe [s]he was bitter and conditioned to expecting horrible things, but [s]he was surprised when nothing ended up on fire."

Saryn stared.

"What?" That couldn't be possible. How did Nova manage to go through her work space, scrub it clean of the various chemicals staining her tables, and do it all without causing any sort of chain reactions? "Earth to Saryn?"

"Are you hurt?" She rushed over to inspect the smaller woman all over, expecting some kind of burn or rash from the myriad of fumes and biological agents she worked with on the daily. The scientist looked up at her, puzzled and beyond comprehension. "Hurt? I was cleaning."

Saryn shook her head. "How? This is impossible. Anyone who steps in my chem labs ends up destroying my experiments or injuring themselves."

Nova canted her head and looked back, humming quietly in thought. "I left anything that looked pretty dangerous alone. You could do with a little bit of maintenance on your equipment though."

The fact that the scientist managed to leave her entire lab intact _and_ clean earned her a bone crushing hug and a butterfly-inducing kiss.

* * *

Prompt #660: "The next words out of your mouth better be 'I'm sorry' and 'here's the antidote.'"

You look up to find an incredibly annoyed, incredibly _cute_ woman glaring at you as if you cut off her favorite song at the best of parts. She grabs your snow-white hair in a vice with the intent of hurting you, but pain is something you're used to. "Saryn, I swear to Lotus. The next words out of your mouth better be 'I'm sorry.'"

You chuckle, low and husky. "How about 'here's the antidote'?" You don't miss the way slender thighs quiver around your head when you return to your present task, nor when the scientist struggles to keep her voice contained.

* * *

Prompt #634: "Just let me have like, three seconds to pretend everything is okay before we go back in there."

Saryn bullet jumped to the top of the building, barely missing Nova as she landed with a soft patter of feet. She sheathed her Nikana at her hip and placed her hand on the woman's back. "You alright?"

A hand came up to silence her, to which she obeyed without question. "Just let me have like, three seconds to pretend everything is okay." 'Pretending everything was okay' being the four Bursas presently roaming around in search of the both of them. Saryn knew the scientist wasn't exactly the most durable person on board the Orbiter, something she learned very quickly when environmental conditions sapped their energy one time and left the antimatter user without any form of protection. Apparently she didn't have a solution yet for the newest Corpus tech if her _Molecular Prime_ wasn't nearly as effective as it normally was. "We can extract right now. Artifacts can wait another day."

The determination in starry eyes spoke differently. "No, we're going back in there and murdering those damn bulldozers."

Saryn remembered why she was so infatuated with the delicate woman in the first place, especially when Nova emerged with a victorious smile and red in the face. _Cute._


	3. Chapter 3

**Prompt #585** : You've just had a long, tiring day at work. You come home, unlock your front door, and step inside to find an envelope sitting on your dining room table. It wasn't there when you left, and all the doors and windows were still locked. Nothing else has been disturbed. What does the letter say? 

* * *

You glance at your phone – the time reads _19:34_. Work ended almost three hours ago, yet your employer asked you to remain behind to finish the toxicology reports. Despite politely reminding him he owes you a great deal after the last case, he implores you to stay a little longer to so you can take the day off tomorrow. The extra pay – or rather a generous lump sum to bribe you – ropes you into pushing to finish this as quickly as possible. Unfortunately this time you wish you hadn't, because of your partner for this job.

For the hundredth time since you met him, you find yourself repeating the same thing; "No." Nidus is a great guy, handsome and well-tuned to nature. He's a perfect fit to you – a strong, independent woman with enough years of combat experience to shame a few military veterans. You both share a passion in analyzing corpses for lethal agents and turn them into antitoxins. He is nothing short of polite and courteous, but that is to the extent of your similarities. The main problem is his strange enthusiasm in handling dead bodies. He caresses them, speaks to them in ways even you yourself find haunting and eerie. And you've seen some shit.

You don't answer any of Ballas' questions as to why you keep declining him. If it hasn't affected your work performance, there shouldn't be any issues, right?

A deep sigh leaves your lips. You didn't realize just how much you're _exhausted_ by his persistence. The mild throbbing between your eyes tells you a glass or two tonight might be in order. You unlock the door to your condo and laugh when your housemate decides to tackle you with a warm, wet tongue. "Hey Gorgeous. I hope you didn't miss me too much while I was gone." She's your pet… well, kubrow might be a stretch of the word. You found her when she was just an egg lost among the infestation-filled bases, and after it hatched you contemplating putting the poor thing down before it matured.

You're absolutely glad you decided against it, because Gorgeous has been no different than an overgrown puppy – just a mutated, weird-looking creature. And there are other reasons why you decided to keep her to begin with.

A few minutes later, you're sitting in your living room with a flute of wine on a coaster, the bottle in a bucket of ice, and papers spread out across the coffee table. You slip on your glasses to read the newspaper for the day, idly petting Gorgeous as she sprawls across your lap. Nothing really interests you except the Technology pages, and even then skip through most of the mumble jumbo. You don't normally keep up on the news, but in the last few months you've made this a habit just to catch one particular author.

You feel a small rush of euphoria and excitement settle in your stomach when you finally find what you're looking for. _Nova_. An up-and-coming matter scientist delving into the reaches of the unknown and a pioneer in her own right. She writes eloquently unlike the blocks of technical jargon, yet simplifies everything enough that a ten-year-old child would understand. Every time you read her articles, you can't help but feel you're discovering mysteries alongside her, like when you were a kid running among the fields of grasses and through the magnificent forests.

She also happens to be your neighbor two houses down, and a very good friend of yours.

"Mm…. coming!" The doorbell ringing stops you in the middle of the present article and you coax the helminth charger off your lap, much to Gorgeous' disdain. You hum quietly up to the door, but stop almost promptly at your visitor. "Oh…. Kela."

She's a good head or two taller than you – which is actually quite terrifying since you stand a little over six feet yourself – but you don't find her imposing at all. After all, you did date her for all of her basketball years until the drugs came into play.

"Hey yourself." You will yourself to smile, if only a little bit because deep down you still _like_ her to some degree. Despite her hollow, yellowed eyes, twitchy nerves, and slight undernourishment, she definitely looks leagues better than when you left her two years ago. You swallow shallowly when she leans in and gives you a look you _remember_ all too well. "Can I come in?"

You already know the double-entendre despite how long you two have been apart. A few glasses later relaxes you enough to not care about the red welts she leaves on your back or the bruises along your body, because after the bullshit Nidus tried to pull on you today you're perfectly fine with this. A shudder runs the length of your body when Kela pulls yet _another_ orgasm from you, between the bites and spanks. You're absolutely satisfied carnally, but emotionally it's just not the same anymore. You slump back against your sheets sweaty and spent when she crawls up to gaze into your eyes.

It's at that precise moment you know things are just way too different now. Kela sighs – a resignation that twists your gut in the slightest – and closes her eyes. "I shouldn't have come over, huh."

"No," you say without any hesitation. Honestly, you enjoy a good fuck every now and then and Kela was absolutely unmatched in that. But your feelings for her died the day you left her, and now it just feels wrong.

She shakes her head and climbs off your bed to get dressed again. The awkward silence between you two never eases up, even when you see her out the door. Just before she leaves, she stops and turns to you with an expression almost alien on her face – curious. "Who's the lucky girl?"

 _Lucky girl?_ "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Kela smiles, a genuine, heartfelt smile. "I know you Saryn. You always get this faraway look whenever you're in love. Usually it wasn't with me." That admission makes your stomach twist in guilt, but you refuse to let it show. She bids you good night and when you shut the door behind you, you stand there for five minutes. Who did she mean? Lucky girl? You aren't seeing anyone right now, at least not in a dedicated relationship. Gorgeous bumps her nose against your hand, snorting in disgust and you chuckle quietly. "Sorry sweetie. I haven't washed up yet. I know you don't like Kela all that much."

In fact, the helminth charger had a good sense of who was beneficial to you. She's always been super protective of you and whenever Kela was over she'd hide away in some random part of the house. You felt bad because you really wanted her to like Kela, but in the end Gorgeous' judgement outweighed your own. With a small frown, you pull the shawl around your shoulders a little tighter and return to the living room to clean up. You catch the clock on the wall and sigh – it's almost _one_ in the morning. You really need to stop having such late nights, especially if wine is involved. As you pass the dining room to get to the kitchen, something white on the table catches your eye. You set down the bottle and wine glass to pick up the unmarked envelope, skeptical of who it came from.

Kela hadn't stepped in the room when she was here, and Gorgeous was the only one home all day. Who could it be?

You pull open the back and a faint, but _very familiar_ fragrance hits your nose. You eagerly unfold it because you know exactly who it's from –

Nova must have _Wormhole_ 'd the letter in here sometime earlier today. The sneaky little woman.

 _Saryn,_

 _I hope you don't find this letter all too creepy. I had to use_ Wormhole – lo and behold, you were right – _because you don't have a mailbox and to be frank, I'm worried Gorgeous would rip this up before you get to read it._

 _I know you've been keeping up with my work because every time we meet up and chat, you always seem to know exactly what I talk about. At first I thought it was strange, but now I appreciate the fact you take time out of your own busy schedule to read my horrendous articles._ \- You snort at this. You absolutely _love_ reading her reports, and wouldn't miss them for the world- _Not many people actually take me seriously, at least not the old fogeys sitting on the current board._

 _Honestly, if it weren't for the fact you've supported me indirectly this entire time I may have given up altogether._

 _I know I'm not much a conversationalist outside of writing and my work, but I do want to show you how much you mean to me. I know by the time you've gotten to this point in the letter, you know exactly what I mean by this. I'm hoping you could come by around nine tonight?_

 _-Nova Prima_

You're conflicted. You set the letter down and stare at it for several seconds. It's such a heartfelt message, yet you can't stop the dread that settles in the pit of your stomach. It's well past one in the morning and normally you'd be back home by five in the afternoon. By then you'd have finish reading her articles, had dinner, and settled in for an evening of reading but you completely scrapped all those plans for a completely different night. You rush back into the living room and pick up the newspaper again, going back to the article and it hits you that it's not something she wrote herself.

It's an interview by one of the biggest tech companies around, even your employer Ballas has made mention of trying to be hired by them.

" _Absolutely! Although I did have help from a few fellow scientists, no one has been as supportive as my neighbor [Saryn], believe it or not. She's given me insight and perspective I would have otherwise not had for this breakthrough. They always say two minds are better than one, but sometimes we just need a fresh, different outlook to genuinely make progress. Honestly, I owe my life to her because had I not met her, I wouldn't have finally broken through molecular priming at the most basic levels."_

 _Despite Dr. Nova Prima's quiet stances, her enthusiasm when speaking about her work and progress has given many in her field a new change of heart. Her breakthroughs in nanotechnology and biology have been recognized by the Nior Research Institute, headed by renowned –_

You drop the article and practically bolt upstairs to your room to shower, change, get decent as quickly as possible. You've never missed an appointment in your life, even the smallest, most trivial ones.

Here you are, possibly missing the single, most important meeting in your neighbor's life. And being _four hours late_.

You end up on her doorsteps not even ten minutes later, Gorgeous in tow, and heart racing faster than the times you came close to meeting your maker. You ring the doorbell, hoping and praying she's still awake and try to stop your foot tapping nervously on her porch. Five minutes go by, no answer. You knock this time, a little louder than the doorbell itself, and you hear the locks sliding from their place.

"Saryn?" Your heart skips a beat and suddenly you can't breathe. She's absolutely _stunning_ with her hair down in natural waves and the light application of makeup accentuates her wide, starry eyes and pink lips. You swallow thickly and run a hand through your hair, trying to compose your thoughts but everything escapes your grasp before you can get a coherent sentence together.

"Sorry I'm late," you begin. She smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes and she steps aside. "I just got your letter."

"Work was rough, huh?" Her soft voice is so _unlike_ her. You know her to be animated when it comes to topics she enjoys, and even when commenting on others she's unfamiliar with she's very calculated and precise. It twists your gut even more when you realize she assumes you were busy with work, when in reality you were busy fucking your ex for hours on end. "Let me get a drink for you."

You reach out and grab her wrist before she gets two steps away and yank her close. Before you know it, you're hugging her as if letting her go means forfeiting your life and you feel her hesitantly returning the gesture. She's done enough being so hospitable to you, she didn't even have to stay up this late for you.

The fact she's awake at this hour still _expecting_ you to come over only makes you uneasy. "I got caught up in things."

Nova pulls away of her own accord and pulls at your turtleneck. You don't stop her when your collar goes down to reveal the hickeys Kela left behind. The smile shrinks. "It's hot outside, why else wear this?" Her back is turned to you now as she heads towards her kitchen. Gorgeous remains oblivious to the tension in the air as she follows behind the scientist like a loyal puppy, and you feel like the biggest douchebag in the world. "It's not what you think."

"I'm not judging you, if that's what you're worried about." Ah, her usual tone of voice. It's not cold or hurtful, simply accepting but you wish she yelled at you instead. "We all have needs, it's natural."

You follow her, but don't step past the threshold into her kitchen. It's clean, spotless except for the plastic cover over a plate on the counter. By the condensation on the inside, it must have been on the counter for hours. You watch her fetch something from the fridge and she pulls out a small slab of raw meat, to which Gorgeous happily devours from her hand. There is a pleasant smile on her face, and you find yourself wishing she'd smile at you like that.

In fact, you realize she probably knows you hadn't fed Gorgeous all day and knew you would bring her around when you came over.

"Nova-" you choke out, overwhelmed by everything up to that point. Today is supposed to be a momentous day for your neighbor. To finally be accepted as a fellow colleague she worked so hard for, and having every reason to go out and celebrate with friends and family. She could have accepted invitations to a reception in honor of her achievements, and you remember her mentioning declining some important appointments because she had "better plans." Instead, she waited for you and wanted to spend a quiet evening with you and Gorgeous. She has no one here, no family and you are her only friend.

"Saryn, save it." The resignation in her voice cuts deeper than a three-inch knife in your gut. You stand firm and dare to take a few steps forward to her, reaching out to catch her wrist. Nova fights you for a moment, trying to hide her face from you but you cup her cheek and force her to look at you. Your mind shatters into a million pieces at the unadulterated affection when she looks at you, and you find yourself breaking down because how could she of all people be so infatuated with _you_? She's _crying_ because of you.

 _Do something, you idiot._

You pull her in close and find her lips with your own. She doesn't fight you; instead you feel her arms snake around your neck. You sense her hesitation however, and that's just from inexperience. " _Saryn…._ " Your body warms at the breathless gasp in between kisses.

" _I'm sorry._ " You force yourself to stop or else you'll ruin the moment. Nova presses her forehead to yours and you notice how shallow she's breathing. "Let me make it up to you, _please_." You are a woman of many things, but pleading is something you don't normally do. And apparently Nova knows too.

"You already have." Even with how you treated her, she's smiling even more brilliantly than ever. And you vow to never let her smile any less in your life.


	4. Chapter 4

**Prompt #778:** [S]he waded carefully through the mulberry colored water, wincing as it sizzled against [her] skin, despite the layers of clothing [s]he donned to prevent it. [S]he could see the island in the distance, black sand glittering in the low-light of the setting sun.

[S]he'd have to manage the pain. [S]he refused to give up, even if it cost [her] life.

* * *

You see her coming long before she even appeared on the shoreline, yet you can't bring yourself to dive into the sickly, black waters to meet her halfway. The guilt twists and eats at your stomach as she struggles against the waves threatening to pull her beneath the surface, and you contemplate risking your own hide every times she vanishes from sight. A part of you, the chivalrous part, shakes her head in obvious disappointment at your hesitation. You're supposed to be her protector, the one to pick up the sword and strike down enemies and keep her safe. You've given your life and devotion for centuries to fight off corrupted and cloned flesh alike to try and revitalize a dying planet.

The other part of you holds you back – because you know the moment you submerge yourself in that water you're as good as dead like all the other unfortunate souls desperate to escape the grim dictatorship that is the Grineer. You're only hope is-

" _Nova_." Her name is like a whispered blessing on your tongue, a drop of honey you savor. She makes it close enough to the edge of the waters for you to finally break your reverie and dash forward to pull her the rest of the way. As soon as your feet hit the murky sludge, it singes and burns the thick boots designed to withstand just about everything _except_ this. You ignore the obvious heat starting to build up in your soles and grasp at her arms to haul her to cleaner sands and away from the poisonous liquid. She's limp against you which makes your heart sink faster than an Eidolon vanishing back into its retreat in the waters.

You lay her carefully across a pile of fronds you've managed to pull together while waiting for her approach. Ignoring the burning in your hands, you strip her clean of her clothes and pull off your own to soak up the excess liquid pooling from her skin and in the process notice the raw splotches here and there. A hand stops you for a moment, and you steal a glance at her face. She's smiling, despite the obvious pain she had to have been in and you scoff quietly. "Idiot."

"Worth it, for you."

Nova _isn't_ the strongest person you know, nor is she the most clever. But she loves you, and that's all you really need to do everything you can to save her life.

* * *

 **Prompt #784:** The princess's heart skipped a beat as the knight entered the courtroom, shoulders held high. It was her fault that this was even happening; it had all been her plan, her desire. The knight removed her helmet before the court, her tied hair falling down past her shoulders. She gave the princess a smile that showed no fear. The princess couldn't say she felt the same.

* * *

Nova was the epitome of molecular energy, meaning she was perfectly capable of sitting absolutely still or rushing off in a heartbeat. But when a particular white-haired woman stepped through those doors, somehow, the young scientist managed to pull off both at the same time. A hand yanked her sleeve, breaking her out of her trance and she quietly sat back down. "Nova, calm down. It's not a Renouncement."

Still, she didn't _like_ it when Saryn got in trouble because of her. All because she wanted to hunt down something for her projects, and now she was about to be reprimanded by their Commander. "Mag, you don't understand. We were deep in Nef Anyo's base of operations looking for a computer chip." She quieted for a moment, dropping her voice into a lower whisper after. "That was dumb on my part."

"How deep?"

"Like, assassinating Nef's three head of directors and destroying two Ambulas' deep."

If Mag had any measure of surprise or shock, she hit it well.

"Fortunately for you, taking out those three actually made things a lot easier for us." A fourth, unknown voice joined the mix and it was honestly Nova's first time actually hearing their Commander directly. She was seat – or rather standing – at the desk in the room, the only actual physical piece of furniture. She didn't have her usual golden headdress on, instead opting out with a hastily tied back ponytail and a few black strands framed her face. She didn't look at them directly, but it was obvious with her scanning eyes across the pages she knew what they were talking about. "Ambulas has always been an issue for Tenno, considering we no longer have the protocol Ergo Glast used to blow up the first ones."

"You're not... upset?" It was Saryn's turn to speak, and almost immediately Nova's eyes went to her. The older woman's amethyst orbs met hers in shared confusion, and neither broke away even when the commander answered.

"Upset would be a stretch of the word – I'm still disappointed you acted without proper clearance and without having Trinity there-"

"With all due respect Bristol, Mesa wouldn't have let her go to begin with. Especially since you designated her as her primary caretaker, and right now Trinity isn't in the best of shapes after a nasty attempt at disabling Profit-Taker." Mag speaking up to defend Nova wasn't a new concept – after all the two were so deeply involved with their research, it would be a miracle if neither one was aware of something the other did. It made it all the more impressive then that she still tried to offer support when she wasn't aware of what Nova and Saryn had attempted in the first place. "Bristol" - said commander – gave them all a chilling gaze.

There was something unnerving about having a spectral being from the void command them, and her eyes flashed briefly before settling back into normal-looking hues. "I am aware of my mistakes Mag. You of all people know I do not take life for granted."

Mag's face turned a slight pale shade and she folded her arms over her chest. "Forgot for a moment, sorry."

Bristol pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a long, deep exhale. "Point being, it was an unforeseen advantage. LD was looking for a distraction as well to get us an extremely valuable Corpus blueprint, and you two provided it as a passing opportunity. Part of the reason why I hadn't recalled you was because Profit-Taker wouldn't be an issue with hurting Nova and Saryn is capable of wiping the Corpus out before they even knew what hit them." She picked up her pen and pointed it at Mag.

"You're helping me figure out this schematic that LD secured for us. As for you two," Bristol gestured to the other two women in the room before waving the pen in the direction of the door. "Rest up, and tell Mesa to find me when she's not wrapped up by our resident bat. You did good. Both of you."

It wasn't until Nova and Saryn stepped outside of the office space did the scientist release a huge breath she hadn't realized she held in. "Oh my god, I was so sure the Commander was going to hide us both."

A low, husky chuckle emanated from her partner, who looped and arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to her temple. "You were worried? I wasn't."

"Seriously?"

"Mhmm. I was a bit concerned with what she would do with your precious data more so than us actually going in." So her fears were unfounded and suddenly Nova felt very childish and naive. She flushed when the taller woman squeezed her in a gentle hug. "It's perfectly alright if we got in a bit of trouble."

"I'm not okay with it. How am I supposed to let down my knight-in-shining armor?" The offhanded comment slipped from her lips unintentionally, and Nova – appropriately – slapped her hands over her mouth at the slip up. It only earned a light-hearted laugh from the normally stoic warrior, who proceeded to sweep the scientist off her feet and in her arms.

"Well just remember this – the knight will never turn her back on her princess." Saryn gave a light peck to her forehead before a yawn took over. "Unless it involves a bed. I could use some sleep."

"And there goes your sense of romance."

Saryn grinned slyly, leaning in to whisper in Nova's ear. It was safe to say if Ember was in the vicinity, she probably would have made some kind of lame pun like "Nova went _Super_ Nova."

* * *

 **A/N** : Sorry for such a long gap between updates. Life got in the way as I rarely get a good stretch of time off to just burn off some creative energy. For those of you who still follow thanks for continuing to read my shorts, as crappy as they might be. I initially wanted to have a few more prompts for this update but so far nothing has really caught my attention so I'm operating a bit low for Toxic Antimatter.

As for _Gunslinger's Blessing_ , I know I promised an update to that shortly after Mesa Prime was released. Unfortunately while I did have an idea in mind before she was released, it was also around the time work gave me full schedules and I was working overtime. I lost track of what it was and have been trying to find another idea to finish up that two-part. With Equinox Prime literally right around the corner, I think it's safe to say I should probably kick into full gear for that.

Between trying to flesh out and finish a side project of mine originally intended for NaNoWriMo and working on world-building for another story I'm involved in, I just haven't had any time period to get proper updates out. And consistently. So for those of you who wait patiently for me to update, I am forever humbled and glad you still give my works the time of day!

As always, feel free to leave a review, comment, or even a suggestion for what I could do next!


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